A Dirty Little Secret…
To be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil.
Xenophon
A farmer went out to his field to sow grain. As he scattered the seed on the ground, some of it fell on a footpath and was trampled on; and the birds came and ate it as it lay exposed. Other seed fell on shallow soil with rock beneath. This seed began to grow, but soon withered and died for lack of moisture. Other seed landed in thistle patches, and the young grain stalks were soon choked out. Still other fell on fertile soil; this seed grew and produced a crop one hundred times as large as he had planted
Luke 8:5-8
Yesterday, the blog talked about the joy of gardening, but today I must confess a dirty little secret… Yes, it’s true…
That dirty secret about me? Well, I often garden WITHOUT GLOVES! Yes, hands in the dirt with decaying leaves, worms, and all the other things found in good soil. Interestingly enough, studies in recent years have concluded that hands in the dirt gardening is incredibly good for you!
The harmless bacterium found in soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, stimulates the production of serotonin and dopamine in the human brain, both of which reduce stress, anxiety, and elevate happiness. Direct contact with the bacteria in the soil immediately begins to make you feel good! In addition, gardening is also the equivalent of a light workout in terms of burning calories.
As if that wasn’t enough, other studies have shown additional gardening benefits in making one feel happier. Participants in studies made comments about the feeling of accomplishment of harvesting produce that they had grown themselves. Others enjoyed the compliments on growing lovely tomatoes. Gardeners also benefit from the good feelings generated by sharing with others.
It’s full on garden season now, so go online and read about what you could grow in your yard or in pots on the porch of your apartment or condo. Get your hands dirty while your heart blossoms!
